Chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a versatile plant cultivated for its leaves, roots, or both. Its leaves are popular as slightly bitter salad greens, often seen in varieties like radicchio and endive. The deep taproot is dried, roasted, and ground for use as a coffee substitute or additive. Growing chicory from seed requires understanding its specific requirements for successful establishment and harvest.
Site Selection and Soil Preparation
Chicory is a cool-season biennial that thrives best in full sun but tolerates partial shade, especially in regions with intense summer heat. Optimal growth requires a location receiving at least six hours of direct light daily. The plant develops a deep taproot, requiring soil that is loose, fertile, and well-drained.
Prepare the soil by loosening it to a depth of at least eight to ten inches to accommodate the long root structure. Incorporating well-rotted compost or aged manure improves fertility and drainage. Chicory performs best in a slightly acidic to neutral pH range, typically between 5.5 and 7.0. Direct sowing can occur in early spring, as soon as the soil is workable, or in late summer for a fall harvest, which helps the plant avoid the stress of high summer temperatures.
Planting Seeds and Initial Establishment
Chicory seeds should be planted shallowly, approximately one-quarter inch deep. Sowing directly into the garden bed is common, though starting them indoors five to six weeks before the last expected frost is an option for an earlier harvest. Seeds germinate best when soil temperatures are between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, typically emerging within seven to twenty-one days.
Proper spacing is determined by the variety being grown; loose-leaf types and witloof (for roots) require more room than compact heading types like radicchio. After the seedlings develop three to four true leaves, they must be thinned to their final spacing to prevent overcrowding. Head varieties are generally thinned to about eight inches apart, while root varieties require slightly more space, around nine inches between plants. Initial watering must be consistent to keep the soil surface moist until the seedlings are firmly established.
Essential Maintenance and Cultivation Techniques
Once established, chicory requires consistent moisture, about one to two inches of water per week, especially during dry periods, to prevent bolting and excessive bitterness. Watering should be deep and regular, ensuring the soil does not completely dry out between applications. Weed management is also an ongoing task, as chicory competes poorly with weeds for water and nutrients.
Common garden pests such as aphids and slugs may target chicory plants. Organic control methods, like using diatomaceous earth for slugs or a strong jet of water to dislodge aphids, can help protect the crop.
Blanching
Blanching is a distinguishing cultivation practice used to exclude light from the inner leaves, which reduces bitter compounds and yields a milder, paler product. This process can be achieved by gathering the outer leaves and tying them loosely over the head about a week before harvest, or by covering the entire plant with an opaque object like a pot. The exclusion of light inhibits chlorophyll development, resulting in the desired tender, pale-yellow to white color and a sweeter flavor.
Harvesting Methods for Leaves and Roots
Chicory leaves can be harvested using the cut-and-come-again method throughout the growing season, which encourages continuous production. This involves cutting the outer leaves about an inch above the crown, allowing the inner leaves to continue growing. For head-forming varieties like radicchio, the entire head is harvested once it reaches full size by cutting the plant just above the soil line.
Root Harvest
Harvesting for the roots, typically done for coffee substitutes or to force chicons, occurs in late fall, approximately 120 days after planting. For root harvest, the entire plant is dug up, the leaves are trimmed back to about one inch above the crown, and the roots are stored in a cool, dark place.
Forcing Chicons
To force chicons—the tight, blanched heads of Belgian endive—roots are lifted, stored until winter, and then replanted vertically in a moist medium in a completely dark, cool environment (around 50–59°F). These forced shoots are ready to harvest when they reach about six inches in height, yielding a delicate, crisp, and less bitter product.